So-called strapless containers are known. See, Sims, U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,310, issued May 16, 1995 and assigned to the common assignee herein.
This invention can be easily summarized. A paste bin is disclosed in which the combination of self locking corner irons enable both the elimination of straps utilized to hold the containers together as well as the relatively complex pre-strapping assembly. Accordingly, self locking corner irons are placed on the off pallet sides of the container with two such self locking corner irons being on either vertical side of the off pallet side of the bin. Each of these corner irons consists of eleven gauge (1/8 inch) steel strips bent at 90.degree. to form two longitudinally extending side capturing edges. The vertical dimension of the self locking corner irons is slightly less than all of the height of the sides. On the off pallet side, the edge of the corner irons includes punched intermittent annular inwardly protruding male flanges. These inwardly protruding annular male flanges are for receiving the heads of flat head machine screws for permanently fastening the self locking corner irons to the off pallet sides. The opposite bent edge of the self locking corner irons are fitted with returns, these returns constituting preferably 90.degree. inward bends at the side edge of the strip edge. The purpose of these returns is to key to saw kerfs formed within adjoining bin sides. A corner locking mechanism temporarily holds the bin in the erected state until paste contents are placed within the erected bin. The entire construction when assembled and loaded with respect to the pallet having an upwardly exposed integral bottom, constitutes a self locking construction for the transport and storage of paste.